DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
6 May 2026-23:59-GMT+08:00 Philippine Standard Time (Manila)WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.
ABOUT WFP
The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.
To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.
WHY JOIN WFP?
WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).
In the Philippines, WFP’s efforts are guided by its work outlined in the Philippines Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2024-2028. WFP focuses on strengthening government systems at the national, local government unit and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) levels to further build the resilience of vulnerable individuals and communities.
The CSP is aligned with national strategies and policies as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework and is guided by three interrelated outcomes:
By 2028, communities exposed to shocks and stressors in the Philippines are better able to meet food, nutrition and other essential needs with inclusive and equitable emergency preparedness and response capacity at the national and local levels.
By 2028, communities vulnerable to food and nutrition insecurity in the Philippines are more resilient and can better manage risks affecting human capital gains and food systems, inclusively and equitably.
The Government and partners in the Philippines access WFP services that augment their interventions, upon request.
These strategic objectives are framed within the context of the Philippines being on the verge of becoming and upper-middle income country, while at the same time being one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries. Disasters remain a leading cause of hunger, affecting all aspects of food security: economic and physical access to food, availability and stability of supplies, and nutrition.
While WFP Philippines maintains a strong capacity to respond directly when significant shocks occur, the overall emphasis of the Country Office lies on systems strengthening (disaster risk management, social protection and food systems) at national, LGU and BARMM levels. WFP utilizes its field operations expertise to support the Government in delivering on key food programmes linked to its mandate and the CSP, including supporting the conceptualization and roll out of national priority programmes such as Walang Gutom 2027 and LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) at BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished) and modelling globally proven programmes such as home-grown school feeding – linking local smallholder farmers production to the institutional demand of school meals programmes. WFP engages at the national level on policy dialogue, supporting legislative advances in areas such as school meals, anticipatory action and rice fortification.
POSITION DETAILS:
JOB TITLE: Programme Policy Officer (Blended Finance Specialist)
TYPE OF CONTRACT: Service Contract (SC)
JOB GRADE: SC-10
UNIT/DIVISION: Programme Unit
DUTY STATION (City, Country): Manila, Philippines
DURATION: Seven (7) months
This position is open to Filipino nationals only
CONTEXT
Smallholder farmers and fisherfolk play a vital role in food systems. Under the CSP, WFP supports the Government to reduce the country’s vulnerability to climate, economic and conflict-related shocks through:
Enhancing emergency preparedness capacities at the national and local level.
The design and implementation of multi-sectoral, integrated programmes to enhance local food systems that include the building of small-scale agricultural infrastructure, and nature-based solutions; helping smallholder farmers invest in high-valued local crops, organize in cooperatives, and access potential markets with better prices and terms.
Technical support to develop multi-hazard impact-based forecasting and early warning systems that can reach the “last-mile” communities.
Strengthening adaptive, shock-responsive and nutrition-sensitive social protection, including institutionalization and operationalization of anticipatory action (AA) systems for priority hazards.
Evidence generation on vulnerabilities and risks to livelihoods, food security, and nutrition.
Considering that many smallholder farmers and fisherfolk struggle to access the credit, insurance, and financial services that would help them grow their livelihoods and build resilience, the WFP, together with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN Women is implementing a joint programme which aims to strengthen inclusive, climate-resilient food systems by designing and deploying blended financing solutions aligned with national and local priorities. Anchored in institutional markets such as school meals and social protection programmes, the initiative aims to blend public funding, concessional finance, and de-risking instruments to unlock private-sector investment and overcome long‑standing barriers to financial inclusion for value chain actors.
The initiative aims to introduce financial products tailored to the needs of smallholders and bundled with climate insurance, deployed through local financial institutions. In order to de-risk private sector lending in fragile and underserved contexts, the initiative aims to develop a blended finance facility offering guarantees and risk-sharing instruments to local financial institutions, technical assistance provided by WFP to the end beneficiaries, and to provide anchor buyers via the national school feeding and social protection programmes.
JOB PURPOSE
The Blended Finance Specialist will play a central role in designing and structuring the blended finance facility with instruments that unlock inclusive and climate-resilient food systems from public and private sector resources. This facility will be anchored in institutional markets such as school feeding and social protection programmes, and will be co-developed with partners, local government units (LGUs), cooperatives, and national agencies.
The Blended Finance Specialist will ensure that financing solutions are technically sound, financially viable, climate-smart and aligned with both local development plans and investor priorities. This includes conducting feasibility assessments, market scoping, costing, and risk analysis, and preparing financial structuring documents that meet the due diligence requirements of public and private capital providers; as well as identifying and establishing partnerships with relevant stakeholders. The job holder will also support the development of investment cases, convening of investment forums and matchmaking events, facilitating engagement between LGUs and impact investors.
The holder is expected to operate with a high degree of independence to ensure that programme and policy objectives are achieved in full; to be involved in a variety of programme and policy activities and analytical work; and liaise with internal and external counterparts proactively to ensure effective collaboration and programme results.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (not all-inclusive nor exhaustive):
The Blended Finance Specialist will report to the Head of Climate Change and Resilience and with overall guidance from the Head of the Programme. The holder will collaborate proactively with other units and sub-units, such as with the Head of Social Protection and School Feeding, and Programme Policy Officer for Disaster Risk Financing, as well as UN partners, national and local government officials to support the design, development, and implementation blended finance solutions, including:
Design a blended finance model/facility meeting the Programmatic objectives
Identify partners to provide risk-sharing instruments and other potential blended finance/re-risking instruments.
Identify partner Financial Service Providers (FSPs).
Design the bundled financial product for the target beneficiaries – comprising financing, climate insurance, technical assistance and guaranteed off-take
Lead the development of technical guidelines and Standard Operating Practices for risk-sharing mechanisms and readiness for Local Government Units.
Assess the financial sector and inclusive finance ecosystem
Conduct market analysis, demand forecasting, and price trend assessments to inform investment strategies and resilience planning.
Regulatory & Policy Alignment
Ensure compliance with national regulations.
Advocate for enabling frameworks supporting institutional procurement and climate finance.
Contribute to the development of projects, plans, and processes ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidance.
Learning & Reporting
Coordinate the development of dashboards and frameworks to track financial mobilization, guarantee utilization, climate resilience, and social inclusion metrics across investment pipelines.
Research and analyze context, policy, and operational issues to inform strategic adjustments and support accurate, timely reporting.
Stakeholder Engagement and Advisory Support
Engage government, banks, International Financial Institutions, insurers, investors and other stakeholders to co-develop financing solutions for smallholders (e.g., First Loss Guarantee, Zero Hunger Facility) and food systems.
Provide technical advice to WFP on blended finance, financial inclusion, and private sector engagement beyond the Joint Programme, as needed.
Support other analytical, advisory, and learning activities
Contribute to internal guidance, knowledge products, and recommendations to inform WFP’s broader programmatic engagement.
DELIVERABLES
Workplan of the consultancy with key deliverables and timeframe.
Mapping of the formal financing landscape and inclusive finance ecosystem.
Proposed partners (ie. Financial Service Providers, Insurance Providers, market actors) for the initiative, based on financial and operational due diligence findings and ability to meet programmatic objectives.
Financial product design, bundling financing, insurance, technical assistance and guaranteed off-take
Recommend a blended finance model/facility that meets the needs of the end beneficiaries, and achieves the programmatic objective for WFP, with clearly defined roles of all entities involved (WFP, FSPs, government, other partners) and a realistic budget.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Education: Advanced university degree in Finance, Development Finance, Economics, or related field or a first-level university degree with an additional two (2) years of related work experience and/or trainings/ courses
Experience:
Minimum five (5) years of postgraduate professional experience in blended finance, development finance, innovative financing, or impact investing.
Proven experience in designing or structuring de-risking instruments for financial institutions/inclusive finance programmes
Experience in working with/assessing financial institutions’ products and performance
Experience working at both national and local levels in the Philippines.
Experience in project management and multi-stakeholder coordination and engagement
Experience in establishing partnerships and fundraising is considered an asset
Experience in financial sector assessment/market analysis.
Familiarity with institutional procurement, climate finance, and gender-responsive financing approaches.
Knowledge and skills
Strong financial modelling and structuring skills (e.g., ROI projections, risk-adjusted returns, capital structuring).
Strong project management and coordination skills
Strong multi-stakeholder management and engagement skills
Excellent written and communication skills.
Strong analytical skills, including ability to synthesize information, draw conclusions and recommend a course of action.
Ability to think creatively, proactively, and problem-solve with flexibility and adaptability.
Strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills with ability to establish effective relations with communities, authorities, colleagues and partners’ staff.
Ability to maintain a high degree of judgement, discretion and confidentiality.
Language
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with proficiency in Tagalog considered an advantage.
WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK
WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.
Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact: global.inclusion@wfp.org
NO FEE DISCLAIMER
The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.
REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.
We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.
At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.
All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.